


What Lurks

by CarnalPsychosis



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Ace!Mantis, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Asexual Character, Bi-Curiosity, Bisexual Character, Blood, Body Dysphoria, Body Horror, Body mutilation, Can't tag everything due to spoilers so read at your own risk?, Carnal Actions, Carnal Thoughts, Disembowelment, Dysphoria, Fluff, Gore, Guts - Freeform, Im sorry this is a mess, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Insanity, Insectoid, Loathing Humanity, M/M, MGSV, MGSV Appearances, My friend insists that I refer to it as an "insectathrope", OOC, Out of Character, Psychoanalysis, Psychokinesis, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Psychosis, Self-Harm, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Transformation, Violence, Violent Thoughts, body transformation, boi - Freeform, sexual curiosity, there's plot in here somewhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-16 21:06:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9289532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarnalPsychosis/pseuds/CarnalPsychosis
Summary: “I have no faith in human perfectibility. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not more happy - nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago.”Mantis had never been content with his humanity or the humanity of the creatures around him, but now he has to ask himself if he was ever really human to begin with.[In which Mantis is able to become a monstrous creature, half man and half insect, and seeks Liquid's help.]





	1. Something Isn't Right

**Author's Note:**

> There isn't much Liquid/Mantis around and I really like the ship so have whatever this garbage is. I honestly have no idea where the plot will go or how often this will update. For all I know this may just be a bunch of connected drabbles or a drabble every few chapters (lengths will vary as I am sort of busy and have another story to update). 
> 
> Honestly, I just really like disgusting humanoid monsters and Psycho Mantis seems like the perfect baby (I'm sorry, I really do love him). Appearance wise this would be MGSV and I'm not really focusing on the game plot itself or any real chronological order (hence the canon divergence). This is sort of just Liquid and Mantis both traveling and looking for hire while occasionally meeting up when time permits it. So no, they aren't really as young as they would have been in MGSV, I suppose they would be in the frame between that game and the next in order, but for simplicity's sake we'll say that they're probably late teen-early twenties. (Though they're still pretty childish tbh)
> 
> As much as I love blood and guts and gore, I also like fluff so there will be some of that (which may be ooc? Idk?) in here, especially during the moments of Mantis' struggles. I also took some artistic liberties with a few things, sorry if this isn't really your cup of tea. But hey, if you like this by chance, I really appreciate any kind of feedback! 
> 
> [If you can't picture what he would look like, since I'm terrible at writing, just Google pictures of insectoids and I'm sure you'll see what I'm getting at.]
> 
> Edit: http://imgur.com/a/UQ0Ni  
> (See chapter 2; I've also gone back to the first chapter notes and added an album. This album will have any art for this, so far it just has two pics (lines and colored) of what insectoid Mantis might look like (without all the blood and goop). Pardon the quality, it's rather difficult to draw in the car- on a bumpy dirt road. Shout out to my friend who helped me with this first design as well. The design may change later but this is just the basic idea for now. Use your imagination.)

((Also, speech in 'these' should be italicized but AO3 hates me so just know that dialogue in 'these' is telepathy. Currently trying to fix that.))

Liquid had never been particularly good at sleeping, an ever flowing current of thoughts plagued his mind and threatened to sweep him under the tide should he let them run rampant. Tonight shouldn’t have been any different, listening to the sounds of cars over sewer grates and gunshots from the rundown city outside his apartment walls. Rain lazily threw itself at the windows, tinted orange by the streetlights outside, and thunder rumbled somewhere off in the distance.

Tonight seemed to be one of the calmer nights in fact. It could be worse, there could be another attempt at manslaughter somewhere in his complex again. So really he wasn’t complaining as he laid on the worn down mattress and stared at the ceiling. But something felt off. Something deep in his mind was churning and scraping for a way out. It made him uneasy and paranoid, his eyes darting to look at the looming shadows of his subpar bedroom. 

It was a subconscious itch in the back of his brain, pacing circles and pulling up feelings of worry and anxiety that made him want to do something. What that something was he did not know, he just felt the need to _act_ to _move_. The digging only worsened with time, but was hazy as if the thoughts and feelings were not his own. He knew for a fact that it was nobody here doing this to him, that was something you could just tell when your brain worked in that way and you had dealt with that before. Besides, the biggest threat to him here was more than likely the mold growing in the grimy bathroom.

So that left him to ponder what it was making him feel as such. Which in all honesty, didn’t help his paranoia in the slightest. As far as he knew he wasn’t ill, he hadn’t eaten anything out of the ordinary, or drank anything potentially dangerous to his health. But why was he feeling so dazed and anxious? 

He huffed and ran his hands through his hair, it was obvious that he wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. Kicking off the light and shabby blanket he made his way to the kitchen and flipped on the light to look for a drink of some fashion. It was duly noted that the flickering light overhead was on it’s last legs and should probably be changed soon. 

It was only when he turned on the faucet and placed a glass cup under the stream of iron-filled water that the emotions came back with a vengeance. They demanded attention as they struggled violently, resulting in a sharp aching sensation that had him dropping the glass. It fell into the sink and cracked but really he could care less as feelings that weren’t his own consumed his mind. It was a grab bag of emotions but the most prominent was _fear_ of all things. 

Liquid quickly turned the water off before leaning back against the counter with two fingers to his right temple. “Jesus fuck…” Anxiety, fear, pain, and nausea raged against each other for awhile before subsiding into a dull sense of horror and disgust. It was like watching the feelings from behind a screen, they were not his own, only taking residence in his mind for the time being as if it had always been an available home. 

A twisting feeling in his gut had him drumming his unoccupied fingers steadily against the countertop. And then a voice spoke to him, it was so quiet and raspy and unsure -timid- that he couldn’t identify it at first. 

_’Eli?’_

But there was only one person who ever referred to him using that moniker and he had just seen him two months or so ago. As far as he knew however, Mantis was halfway across the country from him. The link they shared was often left dormant during the periods of time that they were so far away as the distance put a strain on Mantis seeing as there was so much that messed with the signal between them. 

_’Mantis? What’s going on? ___

__Were those Mantis’ feelings? It was really the only logical explanation he could find. But it still made little sense to him. It was usually Mantis that was able to read his mind and feel his emotions, but kept his own closed off to others. Not that Liquid was particularly adept at reading minds or emotions like his partner, it just seemed to be a side effect of the link he and Mantis shared, that he was able to talk to Mantis and sometimes feel the few emotions that he let slip by. It wasn’t like him to let his emotions show however, especially not the ones that made him seem more vulnerable._ _

__There was a minute of silence. Then two. Three. As time went on he felt anxiety bubbling in his chest, his own anxiety. He attempted to reach out to him but found nothing. Then there was a tiny pang of distress and the link was back._ _

_’I need to talk to you.’_

__\-----_ _

__Rain drizzled from the overcast and bleak sky in warm sheets, just as it had been for the past week. It streamed through the branches of the surrounding trees and made puddles around the tires of Liquid’s old black Hummer, the orange-red rust standing out where it gathered in small patches._ _

__He tapped his foot idly against the muddy ground while leaning against the vehicle, indifferent to the water starting to plaster his light hair to his forehead. The rain pattered rather loudly off of the tin roof of the abandoned laundromat just off to the left, the poorly made parking lot being the agreed upon meeting place. Nobody ever came to the laundromat, it was just a few miles out of the town Liquid was staying at, and the sign for the place made it easy enough to find._ _

__He had been reluctant to meet here, he had no clue how Mantis planned to get to this place and he had really wanted to at least meet halfway. But Mantis had been almost frantic in his request to just meet up here so Liquid had no choice but to agree it seemed._ _

__And now he was waiting on baited breath for said redhead to show up, rain dampening his clothes and making a bloody mess of the dirt road as the sun sank lower and lower. It never was said what Mantis wanted to urgently to discuss, they were both rather lucky that neither of them were on the job. They probably would have met up sooner or later anyhow._ _

__The sound of sloshing a little ways off caught his attention and just down the road and through the light rain was Mantis somberly walking his way. He looked up from his filthy shoes and noticed Liquid, he appeared to brighten up a tad and half sprinted the remaining distance._ _

Liquid was glad to see Mantis but was offput by the fact that he was _walking through the mud_. One, Mantis wasn’t a fan of filth and often opted to float about and two, did he walk the whole way? How long had he been ambling around for? By the way he was shivering and how the rain had soaked through his clothes, it must have been quite some time now. 

__Not to mention that he looked absolutely terrible. Tretij had always been skinny, frighteningly so, but he looked much more malnourished than the last time they had met up. Perhaps it was that or the way his normally fluffy hair stuck to his mask and lenses like fur on a stray dog that made him seem younger and more weak in that moment. Either way, Liquid felt himself starting to feel protective over his companion._ _

__Mantis must have sensed the worry slipping off of him because he gave a light chuckled and shook his head. “I’ve gone and muddied my boots it seems, would you rather that I leave them in the trunk?”_ _

__“You think I care about that? I’m more concerned about you, for a multitude of reasons.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but chose not to and walked around the Hummer to open the passenger door for Mantis. “But that can wait until you’re out of the rain and the heater’s kicking.”_ _

__Only once they were both in the car and driving back towards the town did Liquid spare another glance over at the trembling figure beside him. “Care to explain why you’re walking around in the mud?”_ _

__“I am just very tired, my travels havn't been the easiest on me nor have the past few days fared me any better. I would very much like if I could perhaps rest at your place.”_ _

__Skepticism wafted off of Liquid in waves but Mantis didn’t pry into his thoughts any further, he really was tired._ _

__“Well, as you can see by the change of locale, I’m at a different place now. An apartment this time. So you’ll have to excuse the scenery and lack of space, but you know you can crash there. I mean, why would I care? I would like you to eat before you head off for the night though.” They turned onto another road, nearly avoiding some unidentifiable lump of rotting roadkill._ _

__“Do we have to go through this every time I see you?” He questioned with a roll of his eyes under his mask._ _

__“Ok, ok, I know. But you’re skinnier this time than last, it’s only been two months, Mantis.”_ _

__“I assure you that I'm not hungry, don't worry about that, I’m just very tired. Please?” In reality, he was actually hungry for once, but didn’t want to be bothersome._ _

__“If you say so…”_ _

__\-----_ _

__Mantis, who was already disgusted by everything humanity had to offer, was absolutely refusing to touch anything as they made their way into Liquid’s apartment. He made a disgruntled noise when one of his sleeves brushed against the banister of the stairs on the way up to the second floor of the building, quickly pulling his arm against his chest._ _

__Upon entering the place where Liquid had been staying for awhile now he opened his arms and allowed Mantis to pass in. “Welcome to paradise, honey.” His tone dripped with sarcasm as his friend floated in and took in their surrounds very slowly. Shutting and locking the door behind him, he turned and threw his keys onto the counter and shrugged off his damp coat. “Make yourself at home, I’m going to grab you some dry clothes.”_ _

__Mantis turned to look at him from where he was hovering by the window to take in the hideous town, “That isn't necessary you know, I’m sure I can cope just fine.” He watched the blonde make his way to another tiny room._ _

__“Nonsense,” he cast over his shoulder from the bedroom where he knelt by an old dresser and grabbed out a large gray T-shirt with an owl printed on the front. He wasn’t sure where or when he got it, but it was certainly big enough for Mantis to use as a sleep shirt, “You can leave your wet clothes by the bathroom door.” He tossed the shirt to him and began rummaging through the fridge. Mostly so he could give his friend some privacy knowing how uncomfortable he appeared to be with others looking at his body._ _

__He could hear him struggling out of his wet clothes as they clung to his fair skin and the ‘plap’ sound they made when they hit the floor. It was taking awhile longer than he would have thought it should for him to finish up and having his nose in the fridge was getting a bit weird._ _

_’Turn around?’_

__Liquid quirked his brow at the strange request but did as he was told, making a soft ‘oh’ when he did and letting the fridge door swing shut. Mantis had finally managed to get his straitjacket off and was hovering an inch or two off the ground sheepishly with his arms hanging limply by his sides. His skin, taut over prominent bones, was blotched with dark purple bruises and a few gashes here and there._ _

__“Mantis- what happened?”_ _

__Mantis shrugged before slipping the shirt he was given on, taking a minute to accommodate for his mask. “Something is happening to me and I don’t know why.”_ _

__“What do you mean?” He could sense traces of fear from Mantis and was sure that he was radiating confusion and anxiety. Hundreds of ideas supplied themselves which earned him a scoff from Mantis._ _

__He sat down to start undoing his muddy boots once the shirt was on, hanging loosely from his shoulders. “I don't know how to explain it, but I can show you tomorrow. I would do so now, but it takes a lot out of me and I truly am exhausted already.”_ _

__“Alright fine, just take it easy yeah?”_ _

_’Easier said than done.’_ Mantis interrupted mentally as he shimmied off his second boot. 

__“Isn’t that the truth. I’ll go grab you something for pain-” he held up a finger before Mantis could argue with him, “And do not try to tell me that does not hurt. I’ll only be a second.”_ _

__But by the time he had returned from grabbing painkillers from his bathroom though, Mantis had already drifted off to sleep, floating a foot from the ground like a poor excuse for a ghost with his boots lying in a heap beneath him. Liquid would think it strange, but he had seen him do that before. Shaking his head fondly, he snatched the blanket from his room and stretched up to carefully drape it from Mantis’ shoulders, and settled down on the couch for the night._ _

__There was a lot to discuss in the morning. He could only hope things were alright._ _

__\-----_ _

“OW _DAMMIT!_ ” 

__Liquid awoke with a start -and a horrible pain in his neck from sleeping on the couch- from Mantis’ sudden shouting. He looked over and up where Mantis was pressed against the ceiling, clutching his head, fingers tangled in his messy hair._ _

__“...Did you just hit your head?” He had to hold back laughter but his frame shook with the effort, earning him a nasty masked glared from Mantis._ _

_’Заткнись…’_

__“Heh, sorry. Not used to such a small room?” He yawned and the younger followed suit with a sleepy stretch, coming down to rest on the couch beside Liquid._ _

_'Not really, no. I'm currently hiding out in an old warehouse, I have to lay low since my last job was a bust and all.'_

__Liquid nodded with a hum as he eyes Mantis, finding it sort of comical how he looked dressed in nothing but briefs and an oversized T-shirt (and mask of course) as compared to his regular wear. It was funny to think that someone capable of so much carnage could still look so much like a child._ _

_’It’s really not that funny.’_

__“It kind of is. Both things I mean. But can you stay out of my head right now, it’s a mess in there.”_ _

_’So I’ve seen. You know that our link is too strong, the best I can do is only read your emotions.’_

__“Ok, fine, that’s fine.” He grumbled and got up to start on god knows what for breakfast, Mantis levitating right behind him as usual._ _

_’Are you pouting? Don’t start acting like a grump already or else, you child.’_

____He snorted and waved Mantis off, getting some bread which would probably be going bad soon and putting it in the toaster. “Or else what? Noting that I'm older.”_ _ _ _

_’...Or else I will stab you in the eyes.’_

____“I would say that I would stab you back but you always have your mask on so that would not be nearly as effective. But no, I’m not pouting, I’m just not a morning person.”_ _ _ _

____Mantis gave a thoughtful hum and watched as the toast sprang from the toaster, taking a piece as it was waved rather annoyingly in his face and wincing as it seared the healing cuts on his fingers._ _ _ _

_’Speaking of which, I should probably take it off anyhow if I am going to show you what’s.. Hm.. wrong with me.’_

____The mood was suddenly less familiar and a lot more solemn now at the mention of the clandestine event Mantis had been reluctant to talk about and the prospect of him removing his mask. He made his way back to the couch, this time Liquid following him, where he settled himself in the corner and popped his mask off. Mantis shook his head so his hair fell comfortably and blinked a few times as he adjusted to the change in lighting, his pretty blue eyes being a huge contrast to the bulky orange lenses. Him without a mask was never something Liquid would feel blase about, and Mantis picked up on the curiosity in an instant as it was every time he showed the world his face. It brought a short lived grin to his face even though he had to actively try to keep the voices away, he still hadn't mastered that yet but for the sake of getting help he was trying._ _ _ _

____Neither of them had much of an appetite anymore, a shared anxiousness filling the room thickly despite Liquid’s temporary curiousness, and the food was set on the little coffee table in front of the couch._ _ _ _

____“I’d ask if things are alright but I think the answer to that is pretty obvious. Were those your feelings the night you told me you needed to see me?” He was trying to tread carefully._ _ _ _

____Mantis hesitated before nodding and letting his hair cover his face as if it would shield him. “I… do not think I had control over that part of myself at the time. It is kind of difficult to stay in control of our link at all when it happens I think. It has only happened once, that night, so these are just educated guesses though.”_ _ _ _

____Liquid squinted at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”_ _ _ _

____“I was not myself.” He wanted to leave it at that, but really that didn’t clear anything up and Liquid was waiting for an explanation. “That night I became something, I changed. I guess it would be like that movie we watched before, the one where the man turns into a wolf creature? I am not sure.” Uncertainty laced his voice which shook ever so slightly and concern and confusion weighed down Liquid’s psyche as he listened._ _ _ _

____Mantis stood up and pushed the small table a little ways away with his mind, standing in front of the blonde like he was unsure of what to do with himself, steepling his fingers._ _ _ _

____“Um. It may sound silly, yeah? But I assure you that it is true. That night I changed into a monster, I was still myself but I was not if that makes any sense. If I can force it to happen, I would like to show you.”_ _ _ _

____Liquid was worrying his bottom lip and tapping his foot lightly on the floor, some weird things had happened to them before. The man in front of him was a literal example of fiction brought to life, so what reason did he have to doubt what was being said to him? And he certainly had no reason to doubt Mantis of all people. Mantis had shown that he was more than ready to protect him at all costs, he was still weaning out of that habit._ _ _ _

____“Sure I guess, uh, whenever you’re ready?”_ _ _ _

____Mantis nodded and slipped off the shirt he had borrowed, taking the time to fold it and hand it gently to Liquid, hands trembling with nerves. Whatever was going on had him unusually stirred up, he was so often the level headed one about things. Then again, this seemed to be a terrible happening out of a horror story and Mantis was also feeling more exposed that he had in years, gooseflesh prickling his damaged skin._ _ _ _

____He ran his hands through his hair with a sigh and a slight smile on his pale lips, almost amused by himself and feeling sorrowful at his poor explanation, deeming Eli worthy of better. Shutting his eyes and taking a moment to note the feeling of cool air on unhealed bruises he wondered how long it would take to change back this time, perhaps he should have said about that part, he wasn’t even sure what caused the change to start let alone how to change back._ _ _ _

_’Oh, and I do not actually know when I will return to normal.’_

____“Wh-”_ _ _ _

He was cut off by a choking sound Mantis made deep in his throat, the pained look he gave Liquid being quite an alarming one. Biting his lip to avoid making sound, Mantis tried his hardest to keep from doubling over in pain as a searing sensation traced his veins and nipped at his bones like liquid fire. He could feel things _shifting_ and _moving_ inside him and was sure that he must have been a sight to behold. Shoulder blades moved to make way for two sets of fleshy wings, the skin so thin that the appendages appeared translucent and veins could be seen snaking within. They dripped with liquid and fluttered frantically to dry themselves. His body still not used to the transformation writhed in pain, bringing unwanted tears to his eyes that threatened to spill over with every change taking place. Chitinous plating slowly crawled across his skin, overtaking the softer pale cells with harder and brownish ones. Leg muscles stretched with tendons and bones as they segmented themselves and spikes sprouted from flesh. Arms followed suit, fashioning into raptorial forelegs that were soon cased in chitin-like plating and spiked on their undersides. 

____It was with both morbid fascination and horror that Liquid watched Mantis take on a literal mantis appearance. Flesh giving away to plates, limbs warping to match that of a Mantodea, bones shifting to make room for extra limbs that humans lacked and insects had. Flesh tore and ligaments snapped as the austere change took place, obviously not perfected yet._ _ _ _

____Mantis let a pained cry slip as a second set of smaller arms pushed from between his still moving ribs before the other bones could move, a sickening crack resonating through the room. The second set lacked the raptorial appearance of a praying mantis and instead looked more human like with the same hard casing and three claws rather than fingers. Fingers and toes had fused to allow cells to form tarsi in their place, the foot tarsus splitting into two parts in an almost toe-like fashion to allow for better balance._ _ _ _

____The most alarming and painful part of the transformation would have had to have been his face. What made Mantis the most human in appearance despite almost never showing it. Mantis’ jaw split in two to allow for a labium and labrum to form, the enamel of his teeth being altered to form mandibles -wicked looking chewing jaws on either side of his face- and the smaller set of maxillae. Fleshy bits of leftover skin from an unperfected metamorphosis hung from razor sharp jaws that dripped with his own blood. The mangled remains of a tongue also hanging in chunks from his mandibles. His skull shape shifting to become more triangular and angled like the insect it was fashioning after._ _ _ _

____Lens looking material formed a casing over his eyes, much like the lenses of his mask but more insect-ish which gave the appearance of stereo vision. Though his real eyes hid perfectly unaltered beneath, like wearing much too large goggles. A set of antennae perched just over the newly formed orbital ridges as hair receded for more spikes to appear. By now areas like his shoulders and knees had a thicker layer of chitinous material that was more like armor plating, all dark brown in hue like dead autumn leaves, laced in dull reds and deep blacks._ _ _ _

____Bits of flesh were visible here and there, whether they were attached or hanging from the strange body in bloody clumps, stringy bits still connecting tarsi and arms and legs like shredded webbing, only to tear with the slightest movement. A human form was still recognizable, just barely, but it was there in the anthropomorphic shape that the insectoid had._ _ _ _

____The wings were splayed at it’s sides before being tucked in so the longer, upper set could protect the more delicate and wider set below, making it look like he wore a silken cape. It’s antennae drooped and overall the creature in front of Liquid looked utterly exhausted. Through the experience the overwhelming feeling of pain and fear never left Mantis, flooding Liquid’s senses in an unfamiliar way that made him want to oh so badly stop the thing that was hurting him._ _ _ _

Unfortunately, he had no idea how to stop it, what _it_ was persay, and the entire process had him glued to his seat with his mouth agape. In short, he was unsure what to make of this or what to do about it. Mantis hadn’t lied when he said he changed, the creature before him surely wasn’t Mantis, yet it was. 

____The monster before him let it’s limbs hang limply at it’s thorned sides and a pained hiss escaped it’s jaws. It’s figure twitching every so often as it adjusted to it’s own body. Incapable of creating speech with a insect’s mouth, Mantis tiredly looked up at Liquid with a quick scan of what he was thinking, seeing as he was floundering for what to say._ _ _ _

_’... Trust me, I am just as repulsed and confused as you are.’_ His voice was little more than a horse whisper, full of disgust and horror and ebbing discomfort. 

Liquid had to take a minute before he could actually register what was happening, at first thinking that this must be some hyper realistic and drug induced dream as he took in the form before him. Honestly he had no idea why he wasn’t trying to escape of bash the damned thing’s head in. But the way it gave him the best puppy dog eyes an insect could muster reminded him that this _thing_ was Mantis. 

____“I wouldn’t say repulsed so much as morbidly fascinated… Are you ok?” He laughed briefly to himself. “I don’t know where to begin with the questions.” His hushed tone made it hard to tell if he was in awe or still trying to figure out if he should be making a break for the closest exit._ _ _ _

_’Truthfully, it hurts a lot. It did not hurt as much this time as it did the last but my point still stands. I believe, and with good reason, that this puts great strain on my body and that is why my skin is so damaged when I return to normal.’_ Mantis waggled his antennae as if in emphasis. _’It takes it’s toll on me however in more ways than one. I am much too exhausted to be bothered with psychokinesis._

______“Ah, so that’s why you were walking and wanted to sleep. It seems that it takes a few days for you to get back in commission then. But if this is only the second time then, yeah, these are all just guesses. I would think that after your body begins to get used to… this, that it will hurt less and leave less damage.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He watched as Mantis readjusted his ‘wings’ so that they sat more comfortably along his spine. Noticing Liquid’s stare, he spread his upper wings (slowly as he wasn’t accustomed to controlling such things) and motioned for Liquid to come look._ _ _ _ _ _

_’That is what I was thinking, and hoping for,’_ He shuddered as hands gently and cautiously ran the length of one of his wings, taking great care not to apply pressure. A finger traced one of the larger veins near the upper part of the wing where there seemed to be a cartilage-like base that supported the structure of thinly stretched skin, _’Though I don’t know when this will wear off, the last time I could not gauge the time properly as I fainted, it was simply too much strain. I’m feeling rather lightheaded now._

________The hand taking care to spread the wing out so that the light would glisten through it retreated and Mantis could easily sense the warm sensation of worry coming off of liquid._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Do you need to sit down or something? I don’t really know what to do.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mantis clambered clumsily onto the couch, having to perch in a birdly manner to allow room for Liquid while still feeling semi-comfortable. He made a content trill at not having to stand any longer, this was a lot less frightening with Liquid around. Mantis had been embarrassingly panicked when it happened the first time, though it _had_ caught him off guard. 

________He tucked his raptorial arms closer to his body as Liquid sat down beside him, he was starting to feel a bit flustered at the constant attention and exposure. How he wanted his mask, fortunately it seemed that in this state his powers only allowed for him to speak telepathically. Although he wasn’t sure if more of his psychic powers would surface as he gained strength or not, or if he could speak to anyone aside from Eli._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_’I don’t either, so stop feeling sorry.’_

________“Right, right. So, uh, any idea how this happened or why?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mantis clacked his mandibles together in thought. _’I am not so sure, though I think I must have ingested some form of mutagen. Which leads me to believe that someone did this on purpose, and that they may be looking for me.’_

________Liquid reached out to run a hand down the plating of his side, waiting for the go ahead first. “So you think that someone poisoned you somehow with some sort of mutating agent, and now they’re looking for you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He wriggled his antennae curiously at the feeling of flesh over his own, albeit nonhuman. _’That is correct.’_

________“And that’s why you asked for my help?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mantis hesitated and tilted his head to look at Liquid from behind false eyes. _’I would feel a lot better knowing you’re around.’_ He didn’t have to explain anything else, Liquid understood, that was just the way things were between them. They understood. Tretij was confused and scared and Eli would be damned if he didn’t help him. 

________They were silent for a moment and as Liquid opened his mouth to ask another question he was interrupted by the sound of police sirens. Both of them jumped and Mantis made a strange startled sound. It would have been ok to assume the police were here for a drug bust or another murder if it weren’t for the voice over the megaphone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Floor two, room seven,” Their room of course, “We have reason to believe you are harboring a dangerous animal. You have five minutes to secure the animal and disassemble all weapons, officers are going to be sent up to retrieve the animal. Should you refuse to comply, we will not hesitate to shoot the animal and use force if necessary.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The tidal wave of panic that washed off of Mantis clashed terribly with the one of protectiveness rolling off of Liquid and made both of their stomachs’ lurch as they realized they hadn’t pulled the blinds of either of the two living room windows and anyone could have seen them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Shit! What are we going to do?” Liquid had jumped off the couch frantically._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mantis was at a loss as well, if he were in his ‘human state’ he could teleport them away from here. But there were several problems with that. He didn’t know how to change back, said transformation tired him out to the point where using his powers was a struggle, it was already hard enough to teleport a second person and not mess it up, and finally he didn’t know how far he would be able to get them. It was a slim chance if any, but it was better than nothing. The panic, focus, and fear of Liquid getting hurt made something click. It felt almost natural to this form, but foreign to his humanity. And then the pain was back, both a blessing and a curse as the mantis features began to retreat for human ones to appear. Turns out that forcing the transformation to go faster hurt like a bitch and he couldn’t contain the agonized cry that left his lips, which drew Liquid’s attention from the window just as the wings slid with a grotesque sound back into their human features._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Before Liquid could finish his inquiry of “what are yo-” Mantis was snatching his mask and clothes from where they were still in a heap before grabbing Liquid’s hand, with no time to plan anything else he teleported and simply hoped that it would be sufficient enough to help them as he blacked out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. You Don't Need Him Anymore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know last chapter was sort of cheesy/cliche or whatever you wish to call it, but there's some more science and explaining coming up in the next few chapters. Thanks for baring with me. 
> 
> This chapter doesn't advance the plot all that much, sorry, I just needed to get an update out and wanted to talk about their past a little. Also, didn't look for mistakes yet so I apologize for that.

When Mantis opened his eyes he wasn’t sure what was going on. Didn’t know where he was, what had happened, or what was happening currently. But the wave of exhaustion and the pounding headache seduced him back into a restless sleep.

It didn’t last long as his mind worked through his slumber to piece together a jumbled puzzle of memories. Perhaps it was only his nature to constantly work through the things he didn’t understand. Analyze, assess, conclude. The activity had him existing in that plane right between being asleep and awake, what sounded like voices could be heard mumbling just out of his understanding. But that was nothing new.

It was only when he heard a nearby door close and was swamped with feelings of concern and mild panic that he opened his eyes again. He was surprised to be looking at the world in shades of orange for a moment, though he wasn’t sure why he was shocked until he recalled that last he knew, he hadn’t been wearing his mask. All the pieces fell into place slowly as he stared at an unfamiliar ceiling and eventually regained feeling in his body.

He was sore as hell, but alive. A groggy attempt to move his arm had him furrowing his brows when something halted the movement. A blanket? Yes, he was under a blanket, that much he gathered, but that didn’t make sense. Well neither did the sound of running water from further away or the constant hum of voices mixed with an ever so light background of static.

It took another few moments for him to realize that he was in a motel room (in a probably filthy bed he noted with a grimace) somewhere and that the murmurs were voices on an old television near the door. He turned his head lazily to look at the other side of the room, where he could see Liquid fiddling with the sink in the cramped bathroom, door hanging open without care.

With some pained effort he shoved the blanket off of himself and sat up, shivering as cold air touched bare skin. Flushing deeply he recalled that he shouldn’t have been wearing anything seeing as all garments, including the undermost layers, were discarded of during the hellish transformation as far as he knew. So the only logical answer was that it had been Liquid who had so generously taken it upon himself to put a pair of briefs back on his exposed figure. Whether he should be grateful, disgusted, or elsewise he did not know. At least he had the sense to put his mask back on as well. But there was no point in fussing over what he couldn’t change he supposed, best forget it all together.

He made sure the blanket covered the entirety of his lower half in any matter.

 _’What are you doing over there?’_ Mantis was painfully aware of how weak his voice sounded even over the mental link.

Liquid whipped around and relief washed over his face only to be replaced by a huge grin. “Oh you’re finally awake! I was starting to get worried, I wasn’t looking forward to dragging you around unconscious, not that you weigh much.” He quickly shut the water off and wiped his hands on his pants, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

_’I don’t…what? Explain please?’_

“Oh. Well, you’ve been out for almost a day now. You managed to teleport us about a town over a day ago, I think it’s a town over anyways. I don’t know what you did exactly, but you’re… you again.” He pointed sharply at Mantis, referring to his human state. “You were completely out and the best I could do was buy this room until you came to. You’re lucky I have my wallet on me, but it wont last us long while we lay low. I know it’s not much but it’s hard to find a place under the circumstances and limited cash. I think I only managed cause the bird at the counter found me to her likings.”

Well at least he had kept them from getting shot to bits. It wasn’t going to be fun running from place to place for the next month or so to avoid any confrontation however. Not to mention running from whoever the fuck had it out for Mantis in the first place. 

The last thing bothered him though, made his buried possessiveness ache. Due to an earlier agreement (which he didn’t know if they were still keeping) and pure tiredness, he didn’t have it in him to sift through Liquid’s tangled maze of a mind and figure out what that last part meant without asking.

 _’Please tell me you didn’t do that in this bed.’_ Mantis patted the mattress in emphasis. He didn’t think his dear friend would do that knowing how he felt about such things, but he didn’t know if he’d put it past Liquid. Only because their temporary safety depended on it that is. 

Liquid gave him a strange look, not understanding at first. “What..? Oh. Oh! Oh, no, no! Nothing like that, just a bit of sweet talking. Heavens no, Mantis.” He said a bit dumbly.

The very distant twisting of something like anger faded. Mantis couldn’t explain it, but the thought of Eli shagging some bird made his skin itch. He supposed it never bothered him before, it was to be expected anyhow, he was only human and Mantis wasn’t offering to help. He just didn’t _think_ about it before. But Eli was his only friend, he was _Mantis’_ friend. There was no way in hell he would allow some tryst to spiral to the point that Liquid was taken from him. Yes, it was unlikely that Liquid would throw Mantis out completely. But a young woman- or man for that point- could offer him what Mantis simply could not and only because of his own accord. 

Yet thinking of some other human groping at and feeling all over _his_ friend made him upset. Made his teeth grit and made him feel violent. Like he wanted to rip them to bloody fucking shreds without even touching them. Watch their blood seep into the ground like their filthy seed. And not just because of his distaste for such affairs. 

It was far from the first time Mantis had felt so inexplicably violent about something, but it still caught him off guard. He cleared his throat awkwardly and stretched, remembering with a wrinkle of his nose that he still needed to put some clothes on and that Liquid’s eyes were too much for him for this long, even if they had remained friendly.

_’Good, because I would personally have you castrated and I’ve always thought of you as a gentleman of the piers.’_

“Ok, well, rude. And I have no idea what that even means.” 

_’Hush, you favour the flatter shoe, dear child. Now could you get me my clothes please, it is rather cold in here and I’ve had enough tanning to last me a year.’_

He would have been surprised if Liquid _had_ understood what he meant, which only added to his silent amusement. 

“Fine, whatever. You’re about as pale as a ghost though.” Mantis truly had a ghastly pale shade of skin, his copper curls standing out like molten ivy in contrast. 

Liquid pushed off the bed with a groan, only now did Mantis notice how tired he looked, and made his way to a chipped dresser that came with the room. It took a small amount of digging before he produced Mantis’ signature clothes and tossed them to the bed so that he could occupy himself with something other than awkward silence and staring. 

Mantis made a note that he would need to repay his friend somehow, he had almost forgotten how nice it was to have someone respect your boundaries while being away and knee deep in human filth. There was also the whole not freaking out and smearing his guts across the floor like the literal insect he was when he had shown him his ‘problem’. 

Not feeling up to par and still sore, he opted to just stand and put on his clothes like any regular person would do rather than his preferred method of telekinetic help. The material felt nice across neglected skin even though they were still a tad damp. The motel must have had a washroom as the clothing appeared to have been carefully washed, that or Liquid had taken the outfit somewhere else when he got the chance. His clothes also looked clean so it made sense. 

It was with a small grin that Mantis pictured Eli having to smooth talk his way into getting a room with a nearly undressed and unconscious man much smaller than he. Humorously scandalous. 

_’So where are we going after this? Can’t image you wanting to linger much later and so close, if I am not mistaken.’_ He watched Liquid with a small trace of amusement as he went about digging through the almost barren dresser as if he didn't already know it’s contents and trying not to look. The curiosity was blaringly obvious across their link. But it was better than a lot of other emotions.

“The lady from earlier and I got talking. Turns out the girl at the counter has a grandfather who can’t go hunting this season due to an injury- I’m getting there be patient,” He rolled his eyes as Mantis mentally poked at him to ‘get to the point’. “He has a hunting cabin not too far from here in the woods at the foot of the mountain. We can stay there for some time I figure.”

But Mantis felt the reluctance in his statement. _’Annnd?’_ He finished dressing and flopped back down on the bed, catching Liquid’s attention in the process.

“It won’t cost us anything to stay there, but buying food and essentials, that type of thing, will. I don’t really have that much on me so we’ll need a way of income soon but our regular jobs are too obvious if someone is looking for you.” Liquid resumed his spot on the edge of the bed now, kicking his feet just slightly. “I also don’t think you should make the trip yet.”

He scoffed, his throat protesting the sound and the mask muffling it strangely. As much as he wanted to argue that he was fine, he didn’t want to slow them down more and put Liquid at risk just because of his problems (but that’s what happens when you seek help he had realized), he knew there was no way that he was going to persuade the man beside him. Not in this state anyway, not without playing dirty.

A day, a day without food or water. Not like it hadn’t happened before but this was on top of his heavy fatigue and slow healing. On top of his already poor body health. At this rate he was going to be the death of himself, not some undercover agency looking to make a monster movie out of him. There wasn’t much room to argue.

_’We can figure out the financial ordeal later. I do not want to hold us up for long, and before you argue, remember that this place is costing us money. Give me a few days to rest and then we should be good to go. For the time being however, could I have some water, and possibly something to eat?'_

Mantis expected some dumbass joke “You? Eat? What a shocker!” from Liquid, but none came. Only a feeling of more relief and some strand of happiness. Liquid wouldn’t pass up on one of the rare opportunities Mantis asked for food, and rarer yet, asked for food where someone would be able to see him eat. For whatever reason, Mantis detested eating around others, which is why he treaded carefully with his next suggestion.

“Sure, but it would probably be best to go out somewhere, even if it is going to cost us. Buying groceries is pointless if we’ll just be leaving soon and needing to pick up new ones. Think you can make a trip yet?”

“Of course I can, I’m not a child.” He paused to look at the television with disinterest as Liquid went to get him a small cup of water from the sink. “But I’d really rather not eat in a public place, you know..”

\--

Perhaps it was the fact that Mantis was still achy, sore, and tired, but he wasn’t hard to argue with for once. Or, considerably less difficult anyhow, he was still adamant about protesting going out to eat. Though he was logical in thinking and understood why Liquid suggested it, so rather than waste energy and time arguing, he went along with the idea.

As they walked down the mostly empty street however, Mantis was still pouting rather childishly about having to take his mask off. But the whole point of being here was to get away from those that recognized them and not draw attention to themselves, and he took his mask off rarely enough that the chances of being recognized were incredibly slim. 

The quiet murmur of voices was tolerable at least, this run down town wasn’t too lively and they only saw another person every now and then. Still, it bothered him and he found himself staring into shop windows for a distraction as well as an excuse to stay turned away from his friend and hide his face. He loathed staring but couldn’t be mad at the curiosity. Which was all well and good aside from the fact that he had to watch where he was going occasionally to avoid tripping again. His legs were weak from both pain and misuse, making his gate almost fawnish much to Liquid’s guilty amusement. The sidewalk was unfortunately cracked and uneven. 

“The moment I feel well enough to levitate everywhere again, I’m throwing these damn boots away.” He kicked at a stray pebble.

Liquid looked over at him with a snort. “I was wondering when you got those, I was more curious about how long they would last. I’ll never understand why you won’t just wear shoes or something.”

“There’s no point when your feet don’t touch the ground. I only got them to meet up with you since I knew I’d be walking quite a bit.”

“Alright, fair point.” With that they went back to their relative silence, only speaking to comment on something slightly interesting they saw.

A particularly dim store caught his attention as he gazed through the brown tinted glass, it matched the dull atmosphere of the town pretty well. This place didn’t have much to offer from what he had seen of it. Clothes, woodworks, family run markets, metalworks, jewelry. Nothing exciting. This shop had several vases set up in the display window. The pastel ceramics holding various bouquets of lesser used flowers; foxglove, snakeweed, gypsy flower, phlox, wild vanilla, moth orchid, jasmine, and Darwin’s slipper. There were various ivys and berries as well, wound together with garland and thick twine. 

He wondered briefly what such a little town needed so many flowers for, unless it was a home decor fad he wasn’t aware of. Mantis had always been fond of flowers however, for most of his childhood there were few places where they were able to grow. Flowers were so much prettier than snow-soaked grass and sun-baked weeds. The townspeople were lucky to have this option, the woodwork and metalwork shops only offered minimal objects in the department of decor. Even then they only really offered crosses, barn quilts, and mantle decorations. 

A gentle nudge to the side got his attention and he peered at Liquid from the corner of his eye. “You want to go to that dinner over there? Doesn’t seem too busy.”

A little ways off and across the street sat a little brick dinner, a rusty sign that used to display its name lying against its front wall. The small glass windows were tinted too and there were few cars parked in the parking lot that connected the restaurant and another tiny motel. 

Mantis shrugged and made a noise of agreement, not looking before they crossed the empty street. “I still don’t like this.”

“I know, I know, but it’s better than nothing. Right?” 

“Right… Now button your coat.”

\--

The interior was nothing to write home about. The booth seats were made from cracked salmon colored material that was two shades off from the pink walls, which clashed terribly with the old jade carpet. An array of stains left dark marks scattered about it’s surface. A small bar sat in front of the kitchen area with a row of low stools, covered in the same salmon material. 

Somewhere in the back of the establishment a television buzzed on about the news and the kitchen fans whirred noisily, accompanied by the clanking of dishes. The soft filler noise of other people's’ conversations was a familiar thing, though there were only a couple of tables filled near the back and one or two stools taken. They opted to sit in a booth as far from the other customers as possible, closer to the register area. 

Upon sitting himself across from Liquid, Mantis began drumming his fingers against the tabletop, a nervous twitch. Although he did not like it, he talked to people and could do so without much trouble, but without his mask he felt vulnerable and suddenly the thought of talking to a waiter or waitress made his already upset stomach flip. 

“What do you want? I’ll just order for both of us.” Liquid had obviously picked up on the heavy feeling of displeasure.

It wasn’t often that Mantis went out to eat- rarely if ever actually, and he felt a tad awkward about it all. It was making him anxious.“Uh, just soup is fine. I don’t think I can eat much else or more than that.” His tone was soft and he took to settling his hands in his lap and tapping his foot instead.

Liquid only nodded and took in their surroundings, understanding why he was uncomfortable. “This isn’t bad. I wasn’t expecting much to begin with, but this is pretty alright,” He commented for the sake of conversation.

Mantis gave a hum, he wouldn’t know what a decent eating establishment was really like by personal experience alone so it didn’t matter. Instead, he found interest in studying his friend for the first time in quite awhile. It had been some time since they really just hung out, time and work didn’t permit that, and while circumstances were not the best currently, it was still nice. They weren’t kids anymore, but they were still young, there was still the longing for a little downtime to relax. They both had noticed how formal Mantis had been keeping their conversations, it was out of habit from talking to employers at this point, he truly was trying to correct himself. If he could talk to him like he used to then maybe it would feel a bit more friendly between the two of them despite the chaos that was unfolding.

Liquid looked tired, dark splotches stained the skin under his eyes. But he still held an air of dominance, never looking vulnerable when anyone could be watching. A few newer cuts marred the skin of his hands, the cuts from last time scarred by now. When Mantis caught a glimpse of his eyes- darker blue like that of a river compared to his which were icy like a winter creek- they seemed to swim with unreadable thoughts (to an extent). The past few months had been rough on both of them.

The waitress came to ask them what they’d like to drink and eat, Liquid didn’t miss the way Mantis rested his chin in his hand and looked the other way. She brought back two waters at Liquid’s request, telling them she would be back shortly with their food, and both of them had to restrain themselves to small sips rather than choking back the entire glass and getting sick.

Mantis set his cup down, missing the feeling of cold water on the raw inner skin of his throat. When he looked up at Liquid he had expected to find eyes relentlessly taking in his features but found him staring at the table with a familiar look. That look that said “something is bothering me” from when they were still just kids. A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he recalled his favorite conversation from when they were still just teenagers with a handful of hope and a hell of a lot of ambition. They were no good for each other. Feeding off of one another’s wishes. It had only been a few years since their departure from Big Boss’ gang.

~~~  
In the beginning, what with Tretij’s constant swapping of sides depending on whose control he was under, their relationship was rather mutual. He never talked to the strange blond haired kid with the fiery temper unless needed, though he didn't talk much to begin with. Eli sort of scared Tretij to be honest, which was weird considering he wasn’t afraid of Skull Face, Big Boss, or any other person of the same power. 

Nobody spoke his native tongue and trying to string together full English conversations seemed pointless if they weren't needed. It was easier to listen than speak. But over time, Eli could only deal with a certain amount of one sided conversations that consisted mostly of jokes about the quiet psychic and offhand comments. So in those slightly tense periods of time where the two found themselves to be in each others' company, the story telling began. 

Eli told him of his past work, what he had seen and done, told him about what he wanted to do, how he was going to do it, about his little ragtag gang of fellow kids. On bad days Eli would ramble on about the small things that bothered him like the constant hissing of pipes in the hallways. It was easy when the other person just sat there and listened without judgment- though a lot of mind reading was involved where needed, especially when Tretij didn't understand a particular English term. 

One very bad day, when the sun didn't come out from behind the clouds and the raging storm outside had them both stuck in a cramped bedding room, Eli got a little more emotional. Something had set him off that day, and being stuck in this stupid room all day did not help anything. He was mad, Tretij could tell. The pessimistic feelings were like a beacon.

Eli had sat on one of the old cots and picked at the teeth of his necklace absently, gritting his own teeth. He had cautiously made his way over, feet never once touching the cold metal floor and tucked up under him, and prompted Eli to begin his daily storytelling with a soft hum. 

The blonde looked up with a scowl, expression becoming less hostile at the puppy-dog-head-tilt he got from his quiet companion. He ranted on and on for nearly an hour about how cross he was with his father, working himself up enough that he had to stop and collect himself on a few different occasions. All the while Tretij sat beside him and listened. Listened to him yell and shout about how much he hated it all and how he was going to get out of here.

After Eli had worn himself out they sat in silence for a few moments before the quieter of the two spoke up, much to his surprise. "прости, I am understanding how it can be to have not great family." Tretij had squirmed embarrassedly at his partially broken English and his soft tone. "Father, Отец, was not happy of my... рождение... being born? Mother did not make it alive through it."

Eli stared on quietly, partially shocked by how talkative the masked boy had suddenly become, though the speech was broken and muffled. It was more than he had heard him talk in the entire past month.

"Он был расстроен, he blamed me for her dying. That is when I found more about knowing my powers. His mind-” At that he made a half irritated half disgusted noise. Eli had only heard him make that sound one other time when they passed through the housing and bedroom unit hall late one night on their way to a faculty room to get away from everyone else for awhile. “Filthy, cruel, валовой, противный, terrible. I was learning of his real…”

He turned to Eli who had been watching him with interest as he spoke, startling the poor boy when he was suddenly met with two owlish lenses instead of locks of curly red hair. “What is the word?” It was obvious that the Russian child was struggling to make his own story make as much sense so his point would get across, and he was embarrassed to have to ask for help. 

“I, uh, don’t know. What are you trying to say, well, mean?”

Tretij fumbled for words again, slightly flustered now. “Like… true plan or feelings plan.”

“You mean intentions?” At the strange look he received he rolled his wrist and tried to think of how to explain what he meant. “You know, like how he _really_ felt. What his actual plan was.”

That must have been it because Tretij perked up and nodded. “Yes, намерения, his _intentions_. I could listen from not his voice, in his mind, hear what he did not speak to me. I was frightened he would kill me, I know he wanted to.” At least Big Boss didn’t have it out for his son’s blood yet. “My home place, my town. I burned it. He did not make it alive as well.”

Eli had heard the rumors, of course he had. Everyone at base had heard about The Floating boy and his unearthly abilities. From witchcraft to the influence of some religious figure like Satan and condemned angels, Eli had heard every excuse under the sun as to why a simple boy from a simple village had been cursed with these powers. Most shied away or ignored him when they could, he wasn’t natural, he wasn’t predictable. He was everything the soldiers had been trained to be wary of and now he was living right under their noses. The higher ups were confident in the kid’s loyalty to Big Boss though so the soldiers still acted reasonable around him at least. 

But Eli had been the only one to actually try to be something more like a friend than an acquaintance. For reasons Tretij couldn’t place, Eli wasn’t scared of him. It was reckless. But then, Eli had always been reckless. It was in the way he held his knives, played his cards, took his chances. It was in the way he kept fighting even when he knew he should stop. And in reality, Tretij was his exact opposite in almost every way. He was so much more careful, always planning before acting on anything, studying his opponents, calculating his chances. Eli was loud and reckless, Tretij was quiet and careful. 

While others were waiting anxiously for the ghost of a child always watching them to suddenly snap and kill them without so much as touching them, Eli had him replacing his shadow and always tagging along. Something about his stories, the way he carried himself, the echo of his emotions, captivated the young deathtrap and reduced him to nothing more than a lonely kid. At least that’s what was assumed, although that was partially the truth. Really though, Tretij was being drawn to Eli’s incredibly strong negative emotions, he would soon be under someone’s control again. A parasitic catalyst that was at the will of whoever he became mentally attached to, usually unaware of what was happening around him. Unaware of what he was doing or who he hurt. But with Eli, he still felt like he was aware, that static wasn’t there to block out his own conscious. Eli’s need for revenge was an exhilarating drug that he was drawn to but didn’t leave him blind. They were both brought together, it was a symbiosis, unlike the other times. He was only a tool before. 

And so maybe it was ok that Eli wasn’t afraid. It’s why he didn’t spit insults at Tretij for his actions and didn’t expel him from the room immediately. It’s why he only gave him a sympathetic look and patted him on the shoulder. It was strange, but a sense of pride filled his chest at being the only one to get the nearly mute kid to talk so much, to tell him something so personal as well. He was the only one to befriend such a destructive force, they could only guess what he was capable of. 

They didn’t know it yet, but they would bond through each other’s struggles, they understood each other like nobody else could. They would bond through the need for vengeance and the need for something more. Eli would beat both Skull Face and Volgin in their need for revenge, keeping Tretij hooked on his anger. That was only the beginning. 

Just as he figured Tretij had done enough talking for a lifetime a soft voice whispered it’s way into his mind, feeling natural and warm, telling him what he had been thinking for a long while now.

 _’You don’t need him anymore.’_  
~~~

 

Upon realizing that he was being stared at, Liquid waved a hand in front of Mantis’ face, pulling him out of his thoughts. Mantis blinked at him twice and mumbled an apology, not daring to meet his eyes. Liquid shrugged it off.

After some small talk about trivial things that wouldn’t seem off to the unwelcome ear, mostly just some catching up, their food came. Both had settled for an easy option of some sort of broth or soup. Even though it was only Eli, Mantis was still reluctant to eat and struggled with the first few spoonfuls. It didn’t help he still felt queasy. 

It was probably close to a minute before he realized just how famished he really felt and he basically began shoveling food down his throat, much to Liquid’s confusion.

Liquid gave him a curious glance, “Hey, slow down. You’re gonna make yourse-”

But by then Mantis had set his spoon back down and was squinting at the bowl uneasily, looking suddenly clammy and pressing his fingers to his pale lips.

“You’re not going to,” Liquid pressed with realization.

Mantis only shook his head slowly and stared harder at the table, leaning forward a bit in an attempt to ward off some of the rolling in his guts. 

“No...” He said as if that would do any good, watching Mantis whiteknuckle the table.

Mantis shook his head ‘yes’ vigorously before scrambling up from the booth and making it outside just in time to vomit all over the sidewalk, skinny arms wrapped around his stomach as it’s contents roiled angrily. Liquid watched out the booth window with a sigh as Mantis leaned forward to throw up what measly contents his stomach held. It had been like this when they were still under his dad’s command. Any time they tried to force Tretij to slip his mask up just enough to eat around the others or eat at a specific time, he would get sick and blip somewhere else in the base to hide until eventually Eli would find him.

Mantis was grateful when Liquid came outside to stand beside him moments later. The bile stung the back of his throat and his eyes watered from the strain of throwing up, the bitter taste in his mouth unpleasant. Every time he thought he was done, his guts would slosh in warning as more acid made its way up his throat and past his teeth. So much for not getting sick. 

Great, now he had _nothing_ in his stomach and was _more_ dehydrated than before. Little tendrils of unnecessary guilt crept into his chest.

Apologizing again he stayed there with his hands on his knees for another minute or two, shaking slightly and staring at the disgusting mess he had made. A comforting hand ran small circles across his back, moving easily over the ridges of his spine. If it were anyone else he would have had the nearest sharp object through their skull by now.

“All out?”

He nodded, though the motion made him feel nauseous. Swallowing back the sorry amount of liquid in the back of his throat he straightened up, letting the hand fall away. He could feel that Liquid felt bad for him, and he didn’t have it in him to be upset about the pity. Liquid’s thoughts were right, he couldn't catch a break. But there was still that nagging feeling that something was bothering Liquid besides that.

“Alright, let’s see if you can keep some toast or something down and then we can go back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter/drabble is going to be about the two of them back at the base owned by Big Boss. It won't effect the plot line in any way aside from maybe explaining a few of their actions/thoughts later on. You can probably skip it and be perfectly ok if you want.

**Author's Note:**

> Eheh, pardon my lackluster ability to write, I hope it wasn't too awful and thanks for reading
> 
> ( I also feel like this is important to anyone who may have questions http://www.asexualawarenessweek.com/101.html )


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